Carrot top chimichurri: the zero-waste herb sauce that belongs in your refrigerator

Carrot tops are one of the most routinely discarded parts of a vegetable, and one of the more useful ones. They are bitter in the pleasant, herbal way that radicchio or arugula is bitter - not unpleasant, just interesting - and they blend into a chimichurri that has more complexity than a straight parsley version.

This recipe turns something most people send to the compost into a sauce worth making again. Use the whole bunch you bought for the roots and nothing is wasted. If your carrots came without greens (as most grocery store carrots do), flat-leaf parsley is the direct substitute - the sauce will be milder and equally good.

Carrot tops are a source of vitamin C, calcium, and chlorophyll. The olive oil carries the fat-soluble plant compounds. The garlic is used raw and has a little edge that cooks down slightly once the sauce has time to rest. Make it 20 minutes before you plan to serve it if you want the garlic to mellow.

AIP note: the original uses red pepper flakes; omit them. The recipe is fully compliant without them.

Ingredients

• 1 cup carrot greens (tops from about 1 bunch of carrots), thick stems removed, chopped
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (in place of red wine vinegar or coconut vinegar)
• 1 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced (about 2 to 3 small cloves)

Substitution: If carrot tops are unavailable, use 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves. The sauce will be milder and slightly less bitter.

Method

Place the carrot greens and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, scraping down the sides once. Add the apple cider vinegar and salt and pulse to combine.

With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil slowly until the sauce comes together. It should be bright green, pourable, and have visible herb texture - more like a finely chopped dressing than a smooth paste.

Alternatively, chop the carrot greens and garlic very finely by hand, then whisk together with the vinegar, salt, and oil in a small bowl.

Taste and adjust. The bitterness from the carrot tops will mellow as the sauce rests.

Yield: About 3/4 cup.

How to use it

• Drizzle over roasted carrot spears as a zero-waste plating - the chimichurri made from the tops goes over the roots
• Spoon over seared chicken thighs or pork chops
• Use as a finishing sauce for grilled salmon or mackerel
• Toss with roasted sweet potato cubes as a warm side salad dressing
• Stir a spoonful into bone broth for an herbal boost
• Use as a dipping sauce for AIP chicken strips or cassava tortilla chips

Storage

Refrigerator: up to 3 days in a sealed glass jar. The green will darken but the flavor holds.

*Adapted from gutsybynature.com/easy-roasted-carrots-aip-scd/ by Jaime Hartman*